It's been a funny week. On the one hand there have been a number of news stories that could fascinate the potential cinema patron in the future, on the other hand none of those are really jumping out shouting "I'm the best story! Put me first!" Lots to see, not necessarily lots to get excited about. We've also been inundated with casting news which gives a reason to go beyond the jump.
Lady who Went too Far
Tom Hooper and David Seidler are currently on top of the world. The director and writer of The King's Speech are likely to come away with a number of Academy awards next weekend, and for both of them the collaboration seems to be the highpoint of their careers so far. With that in mind it's hardly surprising they are planning to work together again with the biopic of 19th century explorer and humanitarian Lady Hester Stanhope (below).
The niece of British Prime Minister Pitt the Younger, she travelled extensively across the Middle East treasure hunting and offering sanctuary to refugees, often whilst facing powerful opposition for her unconventional lifestyle from home and the largely Islamic local tribes.
It's a great role for a woman so expect a powerhouse performer snapping up the central part before long, especially given the additional budgetary clout the project may have due to the below the line talent involved. From the director of Oscar winning... works wonders for accountants.
Read on for spies, submarines, gang violence, reincarnation choices and fat cats acting outrageously (it's OK, I don't mean Garfield).
Agent Zigzag
As well as the return of Bond we have this non-fiction counterpart that may just be hitting our muliplexes in the next few years. Based on the life of Eddie Chapman, with the titular codename, it will focus on how his British spymasters and conveyor belt of lovers learn whether to trust him. It's being written by Brighton Rock scribe Rowan Joffe, son of Roland, and might be directed by Mike Newell once he's completed Great Expectations.
Hunter Killer
Submarine based movies are few and far between even though there have been some excellent examples (Red October (right), Crimson Tide). Notably both of these involved gung-ho Americans and mysterious Ruskies, and so it is with this latest script likely to go into production. It focuses on an American sub commander and a Navy SEAL team that must rescue the Russian president and defeat a renegade admiral who’s attempting a coup, which sounds utterly barmy will have some underwater action scenes as well as (hopefully) some torpedo dodging action.
The Knife
Curiously connected to Agent Zigzag above in both it's true story premise and scope this project looks at the modern version of spies: the snitch, the criminal who wants to get out but can only do so with the FBI so sings like a canary. Based on the 2008 GQ article by Guy Lawson it focuses on a South Central gang member who turns states to such a great effect it sends it's leaders into a panicked attempt to kill all snitches. Kimberly Peirce (Stop-Loss, Boy's Don't Cry) is the slightly unlikely director attached.
Ubik
Philip K. Dick's work is currently undergoing a film adaptation revival. Next month we'll see The Adjustment Bureau and a remake of Total Recall is in pre-production. Next will be his highly praised metaphysical comedy about death and salvation centering on a cabal of dead characters looking for their next physical manifestation. I'm not sure what the relevance of the aerosol can on the book cover is, really must read it, but if anyone can enlighten me I'd be very grateful. Michel Gondry is working on the script and planning to direct, let's just hope he's given enough rope to make a fun Gondry but not allowed to indulge his every whim a la The Science of Sleep.
Wolf of Wall Street
Formerly reported here as a potential project for Ridley Scott the biopic of investment banker Jordan Belfort has now moved to the schedule of Martin Scorsese an will mark his fifth film with Leonardo DiCaprio who's already signed on for the lead. However we will have quite a long time to wait as Franciscan monk movie Silence is still planned as Marty's next move.
Casting News
There have been another full wave of casting announcements made this week including Jude Law joining the love across class divide drama 360, Juliette Binoche and Matthieu Almaric will be helping to ruin Robert Pattinson's day in Cosmopolis, Rachel Weisz will learn to love her husband even after she becomes the first transgendered woman in Danish Girl. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard are the latest rumoured cast members for Dark Knight Rises, and talking of Batman alumni Michelle Pfeiffer is set to play the matriarch at the centre of the Dark Shadows with Helena Bonham Carter also set to join Tim Burton's movie (surprise, surprise). Colin Firth looks to be the next Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady and finally after sorting out her painful divorce (who says I don't pay attention to celeb culture) Halle Berry is back on for New Years Eve, although in a different role.
Anne Hathaway may be a better Catwoman than Halle Berry but she's got a lot to do to out Miaow Michelle Pfeiffer (above).
Saturday, 19 February 2011
An Englishwoman abroad - (Film News - 19/02/11)
Saturday, 10 July 2010
More Bad Bankers (Film News - 10/07/09)
I was initially worried that it was going to be another very quiet week, the Independence Day holiday limited press office action and the rumour mill. Even on Tuesday there wasn't much happening, but as the weeks gone on we've had a plethora of stories, most of which are at the very early stages but there's enough to get into a mild conversation about them.
Wolf of Wall Street
Leonardo DiCaprio has been linked to the big screen adaptation of Jordan Belfort's "Wolf of Wall Street", for a long time it was likely to one of his collaborations with Martin Scorsese. Now Martin is preoccupied with Hugo Cabret Leo's gone to some of his other former employers to get it underway, including the notoriously busy Ridley Scott. Belfort's memoir is a cathartic expose of his former life as a broker, exposing both the immense wealth he obtained and the close to the line and often downright illegal activities he had to do to maintain it.
What I find most interesting about this story is how little Hollywood has tried to denigrate the financial system which kick-started the last recession. There was a banking conspiracy in The International and lefty Oliver Stone has resurrected the icon of greed Gordon Gekko, but other than that the studios have left well alone.
To me this is as much an indication of how the modern production system has failed as any other. In the 70's satire ruled the box office, the production companies were proud to highlight their views on politics, war and modern culture. Now mainstream movies are so anodyne there is little attempt to reflect the reality of modern life back at the audiences, even the banks and broker houses who everyone agrees are the badguys in this global slowdown have go away without censure.
Perhaps the idea of biting the hands that feed them is too scary to most of the studios, especially in these times of financial woe where reduced funding could well cause even major companies to go the wall - see MGM or the leaked Warner Bros. papers that indicate Harry Potter is losing money! I will certainly be supporting this movie, though. It is time for political cinema to return to the mainstream.
In case anyone's forgotten Leo has other pictures out about now, including the hotly anticipated Inception (above).
Read on for priests, pianists, unlikely sequels, youtube, more fairy tales and the latest news about a major broadway to screen adaptation.
Brother Jack
Machine Gun preacher may still be twos years away but it's already started a trend for religious tinged biopics. The next project is former priest and human rights activist Jack Healey who literally spent time on the streets in order to highlight America's homelessness problems.
Last Airbender sequels
M. Night Shyamalan probably doesn't know what to think right now. On one hand the reviews for his manga-like adaptation (left) have been poisonous beyond expectations but on the other the films taken over $80m so far in the States and will probably easily pass $100m that's more than The Prince of Persia or The A-Team. He's probably very confused about whether to push forward with the idea of a sequel, or even to continue with the planned trilogy. What do you think?
Untitled Liberace Project
Matt Damon thinks Steven Soderbergh's much delayed Liberace biopic, focusing on his outing by the Daily Mail, is still set to be filmed next year. It wouldn't surprise me if he's telling the truth, Soderbergh just can't sit still for ten minutes without starting on a new film and we're probably all desperate to see Michael Douglas in one of the late singers more OTT outfits.
Life in a Day
I don't normally do documentaries in cinema - not that i don't like feature length docs I just would rather watch on DVD in the comfort of my own home - and therefore very rarely feature them here on rlag but the youtube movie has me intrigued. Ridley Scott and Kevin MacDonald have issued an invitation to the world to film their activities on July 24th, submit them to youtube and for consideration to a collection of DIY videos to be released commercially. This could be absolutely fascinating, or it could be just a bunch of cats playing piano and brides fainting at the alter.
Little Mermaid
Hans Christian Anderson was a uniquely gifted storyteller able to fuse incredible truths about societal inequality and heartache to the medium of children's fairytales, well aware it's the story that engages the child but the feeling that makes them remember it. One of his most renowned fables, The Little Mermaid, is currently being prepped for a big screen live action production. Putting aside the practicalities of such a move I imagine that this will such a different experience to the popular Disney version (left) that the two pictures can happily co-exist.
Red Riding Hood
Speaking of fairy tales Virginia Madsen has joined the cast of the little red riding hood adaptation. It's odd but I'm actually beginning to think I may go and see this.
Wicked
The Wizard of Oz prequel has to be the most anticipated musical adaptation for the last 15 years, and the deep expectations of millions of fans will need to been taken into account so the process will be a long and detailed one. This week it was announced the writers have begun to interview directors including J J Abrams (Star Trek, !!!???), James Mangold (Walk the Line), Ryan Murphy ("Glee") and Rob Marshall (Chicago). Which is certainly an eclectic bunch. I an see benefits of any of these choices, but who would you choose?
This has become an iconic logo, how will the impending film poster go one better, or will it even bother trying?
